Puratap’s Vision: the Future of Drinking Water Sanitation in South Australia
South Australia water management challenges take the national prize for most complex. While five states struggle to manage the Murray Darling Basin, our intermittent supply problems, multi-source supply, environmental issues, and geographical population distribution add multi-layered challenges for water supply and sanitation for the South Australian Government.
At Puratap, we agree that potable water is a human right. We believe that water and sanitation solutions aren’t just about service delivery, but the key to successful potable water for all South Australians is research and development. And that’s what we do best.
The Necessity of Rethinking Drinking Water Sanitation in South Australia
The South Australian government’s current “Water For Good” plan cites one key opportunity and one key challenge in the future of water and sanitation in South Australia.
The cornerstone of South Australia’s future water management comes down to one area: Water Purification
The key challenge in this leap forward is a lack of research.
The state government cites collaboration with universities as key to developing water purification and sanitation strategies for South Australia. At Puratap, we’ve long embraced research partnerships with the University of South Australia and Flinders University. Our research and development team have spent four decades creating class leading water purification filter and undertap systems.
Multi-Source Water Supply Challenges
Our reliance on multiple sources for potable water creates challenges including:
- Ageing infrastructure
- Costs
- Drought
- Floods
- Water quality
Our main water source, the Murray River, is prone to drought conditions, flooding conditions and bureaucratic disputes. Groundwater in South Australia carries a host of sanitation challenges, differing from region to region. While South Australia may be the national leader in desalination as a water source, the process is resource heavy and costly. Beyond the individual supply and sanitation challenges of each of these sources, the ageing infrastructure poses an important question – are they worth “rebuilding”? The cost to rebuild dated and deteriorating infrastructure which is already struggling to meet demand has become a hot topic.
Problems with the Current Approach to Water Reclamation and Purification Technology
All water filtration companies will tell you, reclamation and recycling of water represents the biggest opportunity for South Australian residents, farmers and pastoralists to thrive into the future. Water allocation and usage rights have long been problematic in our sparse, dry state. Puratap’s investment in water purification technology could, in the future, lead to grey water purification at home, without the need for harder chlorination.
As the South Australian government considers the introduction of reclaimed storm water as a new water source, the question becomes that of non-potable water purification on a large scale. Cheap water sanitisation comes in the form of chlorine and reclaimed water requires extensive sanitisation. The trihalomethanes resulting from heavy chlorination pose a real risk to consumers. Puratap’s extensive research into trihalomethanes represents an opportunity for the SA Government to provide new water sources without new health complications.
Geographical and Usage Challenges
Remote communities relying on bore water have long struggled with supply, costs and water quality. Puratap’s water filtration systems deliver a more comprehensive water filtration option, one that goes beyond clarity, smell and taste. Removing microbial contaminants as well as mineral deposits means that Puratap’s two stage filtering technology could finally bring a reliable supply of clean water to the taps of remote South Australia.
Purified and sanitised reclaimed water supply may ease the issue of allocation and usage. While demand for potable water grows, regional users including farmers and pastoralists will have greater access to water once sanitised.
Partnerships between government, education and private sector paves the way
Puratap specialises in defining and redefining technology. Our ongoing investment in research and development is why nearly half a million Adelaide homes trust Puratap to purify and sanitise their tap water. As the government struggles towards its 2025 and 2050 deadlines, partnerships with South Australia’s many leading universities and our private sector is the only way to fast track a sustainable water solution on schedule. Pure, clean water is a human right, Puratap’s passion for research and development can help South Australia lead the way.
